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Ryan Knaus

Saturday Dose

Davis Goes Down

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Saturday Dose, which will attempt to cover the highlights of Friday's always-busy NBA schedule. Rather than a game-by-game breakdown, this column will consist of discrete paragraphs on injured players, previews of Saturday's games, standout performers, and much more. We're all looking for clues to season-long value in the first week, so each paragraph is graced with the title of a famous detective story from mystery illuminati Agatha Christie, Elmore Leonard, Dashiell Hammett, Walter Mosley, Raymond Chandler, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As a fair warning, most "Saturday Doses" will not be this lengthy -- they'll be quick-hit recaps of noteworthy players and events.

The Dain Curse: Brandon Rush left Friday's game with what looked like a terrible left knee injury. He landed awkwardly and his knee buckled, and he was unable to leave the court under his own power. Hopefully it's not as bad as it looked. For however many games Rush is sidelined, Harrison Barnes will get more minutes as the starting SF, and Jarrett Jack will need to pick up some slack in an expanded bench role. Jack already has upside in case Stephen Curry's balky ankle gives him any trouble, and I think he's a nice WW target. As for Barnes, I honestly am not sure what to think -- he won't give you many steals or blocks, but he's a natural scorer who could hit enough 3-pointers to be worth a stash. Of the two, I'd take Jack.

If you haven't yet signed up for Rotoworld's Season Pass....seriously, what are you waiting for? You get months of exclusive insights from the RW hoops crew, members-only live chats with Dr. A, and tons more. Go check it out.

The High Window: Kemba Walker's immense upside was on display in Friday's win over the Pacers -- he had 30 points on 10-of-21 FGs and 9-of-10 FTs, with five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. His fantasy value as a rookie was sabotaged by his 36.6 percent FG shooting -- this was just one game, but it's hugely encouraging for everyone who plucked Kemba out of the late rounds.

Follow me on Twitter: @Knaus_RW

Farewell, My Lovely: Chase Budinger was a good thought as a preseason sleeper, since Rick Adelman likes him and he can rain 3-pointers in sufficient minutes. Unfortunately, it looks like he'll be stuck in a sub-30 minute role off the bench, and on Friday he managed just nine points on 3-of-12 shooting, with five rebounds in 21 minutes. Factor in Kevin Love's return as early as late-November, and Bud can safely be cut for a more promising FA.

Swag:Danilo Gallinari returned from his left ankle injury to score 23 points with two 3-pointers, eight rebounds and four assists. Tobias Harris looked great in a start at SF on Friday, scoring 18 points on 8-of-11 FGs, with two 3-pointers, six rebounds and one block. John Henson's return to the lineup could dent Harris' playing time, but in the meantime he's a nice waiver wire pickup. Jamal Crawford scored 21 bench points in a win over the Lakers, and Kobe suggested J-Craw will win Sixth-Man of the Year with the Clippers. Randy Foye scored 20 points off Utah's bench, and he's worth a look if you really need 3-pointers.

The Big Four: 1) Kobe Bryant is playing through his strained and bruised foot, but after scoring 40 points on Friday he left the arena in a walking boot, and said he "felt like his foot is about to fall off." Keep an eye on his status this week. 2) Anthony Davis suffered a "mild concussion" on Friday -- he's been ruled out for Saturday, but is day-to-day beyond that. The Hornets next games are at home on Wednesday and Friday. 3) Andrew Bogut played 18 minutes on Friday but won't play on Saturday, part of a planned-rest strategy the Warriors are hoping will keep him healthy. He's expected to be on a 20-minute-limit until "at least" December, which is awful news for everyone who drafted him. 4) Danny Granger remains "out indefinitely" with his sore knee -- I'm not optimistic about his outlook, but it's too early to cut him outright.

Trouble is my Business: Hedo Turkoglu broke his hand in Friday's season opener -- we should have a timetable once he's re-evaluated on Saturday, so check back soon. My best guess is that he'll miss over a month, but again that's my uninformed opinion (UPDATE: Hedo had surgery on Saturday morning and will indeed miss "a minimum" of four weeks). The Magic don't have a clear "successor" at small forward -- Moe Harkless (groin) should get solid minutes once he's healthy, Al Harrington will help when he returns from knee surgery, and both J.J. Redick and Josh McRoberts stands to gain in Turkoglu's absence. Realistically, I expect Hedo's production to filter throughout the lineup for however long he's out, muddying the water in fantasy leagues.

The Curtain:Steve Nash sat out Friday's game with a bruised shin. It doesn't sound that bad, but it was reported on Saturday morning that the 38-year-old could miss up to a week, putting him in danger of missing games on Sunday and possibly Wednesday. Steve Blake would start at PG in his absence without offering much value to fantasy owners, and the Lakers are in real danger of starting the season 0-4 or 0-5.

Split Images: Omer Asik grabbed 19 rebounds without scoring a single point in 35 minutes on Friday. He snagged a ridiculous nine offensive rebounds, but was 0-of-7 from the field. Mercifully, he didn't attempt any FT attempts (career 48 percent from the FT line). Shifting our attention to Boston, we can find a split-personality performance from Leandro Barbosa, who had 16 points in 16 minutes in the Celtics' opener, but just two points in seven minutes on Friday. Barbosa will spend more time in the valley than on the peak this season, and Boston's backcourt projects to get even messier once Avery Bradley returns from shoulder surgeries.

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Saturday Dose, which will attempt to cover the highlights of Friday's always-busy NBA schedule. Rather than a game-by-game breakdown, this column will consist of discrete paragraphs on injured players, previews of Saturday's games, standout performers, and much more. We're all looking for clues to season-long value in the first week, so each paragraph is graced with the title of a famous detective story from mystery illuminati Agatha Christie, Elmore Leonard, Dashiell Hammett, Walter Mosley, Raymond Chandler, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As a fair warning, most "Saturday Doses" will not be this lengthy -- they'll be quick-hit recaps of noteworthy players and events.

The Dain Curse: Brandon Rush left Friday's game with what looked like a terrible left knee injury. He landed awkwardly and his knee buckled, and he was unable to leave the court under his own power. Hopefully it's not as bad as it looked. For however many games Rush is sidelined, Harrison Barnes will get more minutes as the starting SF, and Jarrett Jack will need to pick up some slack in an expanded bench role. Jack already has upside in case Stephen Curry's balky ankle gives him any trouble, and I think he's a nice WW target. As for Barnes, I honestly am not sure what to think -- he won't give you many steals or blocks, but he's a natural scorer who could hit enough 3-pointers to be worth a stash. Of the two, I'd take Jack.

If you haven't yet signed up for Rotoworld's Season Pass....seriously, what are you waiting for? You get months of exclusive insights from the RW hoops crew, members-only live chats with Dr. A, and tons more. Go check it out.

The High Window: Kemba Walker's immense upside was on display in Friday's win over the Pacers -- he had 30 points on 10-of-21 FGs and 9-of-10 FTs, with five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. His fantasy value as a rookie was sabotaged by his 36.6 percent FG shooting -- this was just one game, but it's hugely encouraging for everyone who plucked Kemba out of the late rounds.

Follow me on Twitter: @Knaus_RW

Farewell, My Lovely: Chase Budinger was a good thought as a preseason sleeper, since Rick Adelman likes him and he can rain 3-pointers in sufficient minutes. Unfortunately, it looks like he'll be stuck in a sub-30 minute role off the bench, and on Friday he managed just nine points on 3-of-12 shooting, with five rebounds in 21 minutes. Factor in Kevin Love's return as early as late-November, and Bud can safely be cut for a more promising FA.

Swag:Danilo Gallinari returned from his left ankle injury to score 23 points with two 3-pointers, eight rebounds and four assists. Tobias Harris looked great in a start at SF on Friday, scoring 18 points on 8-of-11 FGs, with two 3-pointers, six rebounds and one block. John Henson's return to the lineup could dent Harris' playing time, but in the meantime he's a nice waiver wire pickup. Jamal Crawford scored 21 bench points in a win over the Lakers, and Kobe suggested J-Craw will win Sixth-Man of the Year with the Clippers. Randy Foye scored 20 points off Utah's bench, and he's worth a look if you really need 3-pointers.

The Big Four: 1) Kobe Bryant is playing through his strained and bruised foot, but after scoring 40 points on Friday he left the arena in a walking boot, and said he "felt like his foot is about to fall off." Keep an eye on his status this week. 2) Anthony Davis suffered a "mild concussion" on Friday -- he's been ruled out for Saturday, but is day-to-day beyond that. The Hornets next games are at home on Wednesday and Friday. 3) Andrew Bogut played 18 minutes on Friday but won't play on Saturday, part of a planned-rest strategy the Warriors are hoping will keep him healthy. He's expected to be on a 20-minute-limit until "at least" December, which is awful news for everyone who drafted him. 4) Danny Granger remains "out indefinitely" with his sore knee -- I'm not optimistic about his outlook, but it's too early to cut him outright.

Trouble is my Business: Hedo Turkoglu broke his hand in Friday's season opener -- we should have a timetable once he's re-evaluated on Saturday, so check back soon. My best guess is that he'll miss over a month, but again that's my uninformed opinion (UPDATE: Hedo had surgery on Saturday morning and will indeed miss "a minimum" of four weeks). The Magic don't have a clear "successor" at small forward -- Moe Harkless (groin) should get solid minutes once he's healthy, Al Harrington will help when he returns from knee surgery, and both J.J. Redick and Josh McRoberts stands to gain in Turkoglu's absence. Realistically, I expect Hedo's production to filter throughout the lineup for however long he's out, muddying the water in fantasy leagues.

The Curtain:Steve Nash sat out Friday's game with a bruised shin. It doesn't sound that bad, but it was reported on Saturday morning that the 38-year-old could miss up to a week, putting him in danger of missing games on Sunday and possibly Wednesday. Steve Blake would start at PG in his absence without offering much value to fantasy owners, and the Lakers are in real danger of starting the season 0-4 or 0-5.

Split Images: Omer Asik grabbed 19 rebounds without scoring a single point in 35 minutes on Friday. He snagged a ridiculous nine offensive rebounds, but was 0-of-7 from the field. Mercifully, he didn't attempt any FT attempts (career 48 percent from the FT line). Shifting our attention to Boston, we can find a split-personality performance from Leandro Barbosa, who had 16 points in 16 minutes in the Celtics' opener, but just two points in seven minutes on Friday. Barbosa will spend more time in the valley than on the peak this season, and Boston's backcourt projects to get even messier once Avery Bradley returns from shoulder surgeries.

The Switch: Lance Stephenson got hot off the Pacers' bench on Friday and wound up eating into Gerald Green's playing time -- Stephenson finished with 15 points, two 3-pointers, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 25 minutes. He also shot 6-of-9 from the field, compared to starter Gerald Green's seven points on 3-of-12 shooting. I was high on Green once Danny Granger (knee) went out "indefinitely," and I am not giving up on him yet (he has the versatility to be a very useful fantasy player in 30+ minutes), but I'm keeping a close eye on Stephenson, whose physical specs are ridiculous, and who suddenly looks like a real bench threat.

Out of Sight: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist looks like a safe drop in re-draft leagues. His offense has been a major question mark all preseason, and he finished his debut with two points on 1-of-7 shooting, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

The Long Goodbye: Eddy Curry, we hardly knew thee. After two appearances for the Mavericks, in which he totaled nine points and four rebounds in 25 minutes, Curry once again finds himself unemployed. The Mavs turned to him in desperation with Chris Kaman (calf) on the sidelines to start the season, but Kaman is hoping to return on Saturday and Troy Murphy was officially signed on Friday, nudging Curry out of the frame. Curry proved this preseason that he can still score in bunches, but he gives up points just as readily on defense, and his chronic fumbilitis still flares up when he feels any pressure with the ball. Even if he signs with another team, which he might, he's little more than a punchline in fantasy leagues.

Be Cool: There's no need to panic over Nikola Pekovic's lousy Friday night, as he scored nine points on 2-of-8 FGs and 5-of-8 FTs, with five rebounds in 32 minutes. He managed to get DeMarcus Cousins into early foul trouble, and should have a more productive evening vs. Toronto on Sunday.

The Man in the Brown Suit: Chris Kaman (calf) went through "most" of Friday's practice and hopes to make his Mavericks debut on Saturday, but check back for updates -- the fact that Eddy Curry was waived on Friday suggests that Kaman will be ready.

They Can Only Hang You Once: Brandon Roy's retirement comeback got off to a good start on Friday -- he shot just 4-of-14 from the field for 10 points, but chipped in five rebounds, six assists and one steal in 30 minutes. So far, so good. Fellow NBA returnee (if it's not a word, you know what I mean) Andrei Kirilenko also fared well, chipping in 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists and one block. Add a steal and the occasional 3-pointer, and this is what owners can expect from AK all year long. For the Celtics, Jeff Green bounced back from an atrocious debut in Miami (he said adrenaline and nerves got the best of him), finishing Friday's game with 11 points, one 3-pointer, one rebound, two steals and one block in 27 minutes. His minutes should hover around the 30-minute mark all year, and I'm willing to pencil him in for season-long averages of 13.0 points, 0.8 threes, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. Green provides the sort of under-the-radar value that can really help in deep leagues, so don't drop him just yet.

The Tell-Tale Heart: Derrick Williams got a start at PF with Kevin Love (hand) unavailable, but he looked overmatched in 21 minutes, finishing with eight points and seven rebounds, while shooting 3-of-12 from the field. The Wolves clearly aren't optimistic and would probably trade him for anything of value -- D-Will has terrific physical gifts, but he may not have the on-court awareness to live up to his lofty No. 2 overall draft position.

A Dream Within a Dream: What would James Harden do as a follow-up to his 37-point debut with the Rockets? How about setting a new career-high with 45 points in a road win vs. the Hawks, on hyper-efficient 14-of-19 FGs and 15-of-17 FTs, with two 3-pointers, seven rebounds and five turnovers. I recommended Harden as a late-first-round pick after last weekend's trade, and he's making that look very conservative. I'll be shocked if at the end of the season he isn't the most-frequently-owned player on winning fantasy teams.

His Last Bow: Al Horford did play after his pectoral surgery last season, but he appeared in just three playoff games and came into this season somewhat overlooked in most fantasy drafts. He had 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and zero blocks vs. the Rockets on Friday, but as long as he's healthy there's no reason he can't match his overall second-round nine-cat value from the 2010-11 season (third-round in eight-cat leagues).

Three Act Tragedy:Eric Gordon. The latest news suggests he could return after resting for 4-6 weeks, but it's time for fantasy owners to cut their losses.

The Hollow:Nicolas Batum said after Friday's game, in which he shot 1-of-11 from the field, "This is the worst shooting night in my life." He said he'll lose sleep over the poor outing, and there's no doubt he'll bounce right back. Elsewhere, Carl Landry scored 20 points off the Warriors' bench, with six rebounds and one block, but I'm not sold. His production is typically "hollow" in that he rarely gives you any assists, steals or blocks, and his bench role will shrink as Andrew Bogut gets healthy.

Chasing the Dime: Nate Robinson exploded in 27 minutes off the bench vs. Cleveland, making 7-of-9 FGs (two 3-pointers) to finish with 16 points, five rebounds and a whopping 12 assists. Robinson's shot will run hot and cold, but his ability to chip in 4+ assists and 1.5+ threes makes him a viable fantasy bench PG/SG. Shifting our attention to Atlanta, Devin Harris started at SG but played only 22 minutes, scoring all nine of his points in the first half -- he's not worth owning with so much competition for SG minutes (Kyle Korver, Anthony Morrow, DeShawn Stevenson). Jeff Teague scored 14 points and had seven assists but he barely played 27 minutes -- his owners shouldn't panic, but we may have underestimated Lou Williams' ability to cut into Teague's minutes and production.

Red Wind:Jeremy Lin had 21 points, two 3-pointers, 10 rebounds (five offensive), seven rebounds and three (3) turnovers in 40 minutes on Friday, and he looked perfectly comfortable taking contact. Lin fell in most drafts due to concerns about his surgically-repaired knee, but he's adjusted beautifully to James Harden's presence and he'll be a major value-pick as long as he stays on the court. Chandler Parsons is averaging about 36 minutes through two games, and if you need a SF he is absolutely worth a pickup -- he's a combined 5-of-18 from the field, but once he finds the range he'll start flying off waiver wires.

That will conclude the Saturday Dose, which will be a weekly feature at Rotoworld this season. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via the email and Twitter links below.

Despite residing in Portland, Maine, Ryan Knaus remains a heartbroken Sonics fan who longs for the days of Shawn Kemp and Xavier McDaniel. He has written for Rotoworld.com since 2007. You can follow him on Twitter.Email :Ryan Knaus